Winter Beast

For two weeks, Mu Shen had been transversing the Tianyuan cosmos, hiding his presence from indescribable horrors, taking a detour when he realizes that a Cursed Calamity is somewhere ahead of him, or stopping completely if there are no paths left to take. 

There was no particular destination in his mind and the Chief justice did not give him a location which meant he had to scan the entire place until he found the Immortal radish flower. 

"If I had known it was like this, I would have made more demands." Mu Shen cursed. 

"Two weeks already, no progress. My mates should be at the Astral Combat Academy now and here I am." 

Mu Shen just felt like he was lamenting for no reason at all, however the loss at the moment stung more than the pain in his chest.

"Maybe I should ask for a collateral once I find the radish flower. Or I could seize the flower and demand for more things, yes!" 

Mu Shen grinned. 

The surface of the sea was calm for three days until massive ripples started to manifest in it. 

Few weeks back, the ripples could not compare to this one. Mu Shen had been able to realize that these ripples represent the strength of creatures found around any part of the Tianyuan cosmos, and the bigger the ripples, the stronger the creature. 

At this moment, the ripples he could see were wider, longer and more ripply. 

Mu Shen gulped. This was a sign that he had moved from the weaker territory to a much stronger one, and the farther he takes the journey ahead, the more powerful territories he would have to encounter.

"Ok, ok, breathe Mu Shen. You can do this, you can do— ahhhhhh!" 

Mu Shen's eyes widened as he let out a startling scream.

His body swerved in an unnatural manner in order to dodge the claws of a powerful beast.

Mu Shen stared at the white furly and chilling creature before him. His eyes widened.

The Winter Beast!

Suddenly, there was a blizzard. A blizzard that instantly obscured Mu Shen's vision. He could no longer see the crazy beast that he had seen earlier, only a raging, chilling and a maelstrom of white flakes and winds.

"What the—" 

Mu Shen took a deep breath and walked through the raging blizzard but it felt as if he was walking down an endless terrain. The snowy path took an abnormal amount of time to cross. A path that is supposed to normally be two blocks away. 

Two blocks isn't a far distance, but today Mu Shen experienced the horror of an expanded two blocks.

Immediately, Mu Shen used the Ten Abyss Gates, going from the first abyss gate to the fourth abyss gate. 

The first abyss gate made everything bottom out. The surface of the sea vanished and whatever was within the range of the ten abyss gates felt as if land had disappeared, replaced by a bottomless pit. 

The second abyss gate caused everything to sink.

Space sank, existence sank, reality also sank. Since reality was swallowed into the bottomless abyss, the raging blizzard that was connected to reality sank in too instantly revealing a white beast staring at Mu Shen in shock. 

The Winter beast stared at Mu Shen, then it realized that it could get its winter ability back the moment it escaped the abyss gates. So it immediately turned to flee, however— 

The entire sky was suddenly replaced by red. An insurmountable chill descended alongside with Mu Shen's voice:

"Let the bleeding sky descend!" 

The Winter beast seems to be caught in a loop. It could not leave the abyss gate range and could not reclaim its ability so it barred its fangs at Mu Shen and attacked with strength. 

Compared to the Winter Beast, Mu Shen was much weaker, however with it's most powerful ability countered by the Ten Abyss Gates, it's unfathomable power had dropped.

The Winter beast moved in startling speed and pushed forward with its legs, kicking out and causing the void to shake.

Mu Shen raised his hands and countered. The impact elicited a deafening ring. 

BOOM!

The air shook tremendously while Mu Shen's hands turned numb, his bones cracking from the shoulder joint. Mu Shen gritted his teeth as the pain spread like an electric shock.

Another damage.

"Little human, I commend you. So far, you're the only one capable of stripping me of my major ability and at the same time, taking my full powered kick. I have an offer for you, be my disciple and I would spare your life." 

Mu Shen gritted his teeth and said:

"You're an animal and an animal cannot be my master." 

The Winter beast shouted: "This is my own kind gesture towards you for being capable enough to stop my blow. I've been holding back, do not make me change my mind."

Mu Shen sneered. 

"I cannot worship an animal. Animals only get killed, I'll kill you." 

The Winter beast suddenly roared. 

"You, ungrateful, pathetic—" 

It moved at the blur of time appearing before Mu Shen in an instant and biting down with an unfathomable power in its jaws. 

Mu Shen's pupils shrank and he hurriedly retreated as the jaws of the Winter beast locked, shattering space around it. 

That bite could have grinded him to dust if he had delayed for even a single moment.

Mu Shen's face was pale and then, the Winter beast slapped its tail gaining momentum over Mu Shen at unawares. 

When the tail struck true, Mu Shen's spine cracked and his face was drained of all color, while his body was blasted backwards. 

The Ten Abyss Gates instantly failed, bringing the Winter beast's winter ability back. 

The Winter beast smiled with cruelty and said: "Don't blame me for being ruthless. I've done my part by being kind. However when a fool refuses the gesture of kindness, only a nemesis awaits them." 

After this statement, the winter beast became one with the raging blizzard, vanishing from Mu Shen's sight. 

However, the damages upon Mu Shen was severe and then— 

Gold lights descended, washing away Mu Shen's pain-filled body, instantly restoring him back to peak health.